Something's Got to Give
by Smapdi
Summary: A little departure from my norm - this one is angsty and less dialogue heavy than usual. Multi-chapter, set post-kiss. Danny and Mindy finally deal with the fallout of their feelings.
1. Chapter 1

He got the call from Morgan and before he even answered, he knew something was wrong - Morgan always texted.

"Dr C... Mindy needs you."

Danny was out the door before he even knew why.

She was in a dark call room, curled in a fetal position with her back to the door. "Min?" He said quietly as he entered, to which she responded with a keening cry. It chilled him to his soul to hear her, as he had seen her at some of her lowest points and this was vastly worse. She sounded like a wounded animal.

Sitting beside her, he hesitated for a moment. He wanted to say the right things and help make her stop going through what he knew was one of the hardest things in the world. As doctors, you have to be prepared for the worst, but in their field, it was a highly irregular occurrence. Unlike some fields of medicine where death is inevitable, obstetrics was "easy." They didn't generally deal with high risk patients, referring them to specialists, and modern technology had made advances to where most babies arrived safely even when issues arose.

So losing a patient, even when you did everything right, was simply not something Mindy was prepared to deal with. Aside from a baby with severe issues born when she had been a resident, she had never had a delivery that resulted in mortality. Tonight, that all changed.

The parents were a darling couple and she had been their doctor from the day the test results came back, through check ups and ultrasounds, so she felt like part of the extended family. When they were unable to revive the newborn boy, Mindy had nearly collapsed giving them the news. The cries of grief from the mother were bad enough, but witnessing the stoic father tremble and break down were too much for her to bear. This was not what she signed up for.

Danny laid his hand on her arm gently, but she didn't even acknowledge him. Her breath was coming in big, deep inhalations, almost to the point of hyperventilating, and he felt a little panicky himself. He half laid beside her, pulling at her just slightly, and she gasped loudly and turned towards him, flinging her arms at him desperately. He pulled her to him and enveloped her.

Twenty minutes passed while he held her as she cried, stroking her hair and murmuring to her that it was alright, everything is alright. He knew she didn't believe him but it made him feel less useless. Finally she found the strength to sit up and he gave her some tissue and kept holding her as she tried her best to clean herself up. She patted the tissues at the huge damp spots she had left on his shirt and apologized.

"Thank you for finding me, Danny. How did you even know?"

"Kathy, the L&D supervisor, she and Morgan have a thing I guess? They do, like, a dog fair? She told him and he called me."

Mindy laughed weakly. "God, Morgan, he knows everyone. I have to text him that I'm okay. He's probably worried sick."

"Oh, yeah, he's a wreck. He actually called you Mindy instead of Dr. L." Danny pulled her back into his arms, rubbing her spine with one hand while he used the other on her hip to steady her.

She tossed the tissue and wrapped herself around him, burrowing her face into his neck, her hands clutching at his back. He could feel the moment when she went from passively being comforted to seeking something more. Her body stiffened just slightly, and she moved her face from his chest to his neck, pressing her lips against his pulse point. "Danny..." She said his name in a breath and he shuddered.

There's a well known phenomenon when people are faced with death, where they want to fuck to feel alive. Danny wasn't surprised by her reaction, but he was rattled.

They had never been physical, beyond that one time where he lapsed in judgement and sought her out on the flight back from Los Angeles. That had ended before it began, really, so he had assured himself it didn't count. They were still just friends, albeit friends who had groped each other. There had been an unspoken acknowledgment between them that they had feelings that needed to be dealt with, but they never did. It went from painfully awkward to simply uncomfortable, but they kept a courteous working relationship. He had expected her to get back together with Cliff - counted on it, really - but without explanation she ended all contact with him.

There were moments where the tension that was simmering under the surface threatened to boil over, but until now he had maintained composure.

Mindy's warm lips were moving up his throat now and he was paralyzed. He knew he should detangle himself from her, keep things professional, keep things safe. She was vulnerable and grieving and so very needy, which logically should set off alarms in his head, but all he could think was if he moved just a couple of inches toward her, he could again taste her soft mouth.

Her low, throaty moan snapped him out of the haze. She needed emotional support right now, not physical release. He slid himself away, standing up and taking her hands.

"Come on, go change and and I'll get you home and..." _in bed no no no_ "you can get some rest."

Mindy nodded, her eyes glazed over, and she groggily followed him. Danny led her to the locker room and waited for her to change back into street clothes, her choice of which took him by surprise. She wore a dark navy dress with a splash of rhinestones on the bodice. A first date dress. She met his eyes and answered the unasked question.

"I was headed to blind date when the call came. He probably thinks I stood him up... well, I did, I guess..." She rubbed her face, which was etched with exhaustion.

A sharp jab of pain hit him in the gut. "Don't worry about it. You can call him tomorrow." _Or never_. She hadn't dated at all recently, that he knew of, but they weren't talking like they did before. _She's moving on, that's what you want, isn't it..._

Danny shook it off and took the reins, getting a cab and accompanying her to her apartment. He forced himself to ignore her clutching hands on his arm or the way she crumpled against him on the ride. It was really the first time they had touched in weeks, and he found it a lot easier to make the difficult, rational decision to stay just friends when there was no physical reminder of how badly he wanted more.

He should have sent her off in the cab by herself to keep that safe distance, but his concern for her overrode his forced rationality. She clung to him as they went inside and he could feel her energy was focused on him. Once inside, he distanced himself, telling her she would be ok, that they would talk in the morning.

"Danny."

She was almost hyperventilating again.

"Danny, I don't want to be alone right now. Please stay."

She hung on his arm like it was a life raft and looked at him with quiet desperation.

"I don't think that... Mindy, I... we can't..." Danny stammered and looked anywhere but in her eyes.

"Not that, not like that. I just... can you just be with me?" She folded herself against him again. "Just hold me and tell me it's okay, like you did at the hospital. I don't think I can sleep if I'm alone with my thoughts."

He couldn't say no.

Mindy disappeared to change into sleeping clothes, and he made some tea and tried to get a handle on his own thoughts. In the past few weeks he had tried to convince himself he was doing what was best for them both. Office romances were doomed, and besides that, neither he or Mindy had a good track record for relationships. It didn't matter how much it hurt to stay away from her, because he was avoiding the worse pain they would both suffer later, when everything imploded. She would be fine, he told himself, in time she would just flit like a butterfly to the next flower. And so far, he hadn't seen much from her that even indicated she cared for him, besides her reception of his ill timed advance. But she had been so eager, with the enthusiasm that was so typical of Mindy. She was so damned opposite of him, willing to take risks and jumping in before checking how deep the water was... he could barely think to dip in a toe before it was too overwhelming and he had to back away.

So what if he was awake nights thinking of those kisses, or caught off guard and breathless by the scent of her perfume when she left the room? He noticed she would look at him sometimes with a wistfulness that cut him deeply, but it was okay. She didn't really need him, until now, and once she moved past this, she wouldn't need him anymore, so he just needed to stay strong.

Mindy came back in and sat down to sip her tea. They didn't need to speak. When she was done, she stood and looked at him, and he followed her to her bedroom where they both laid down on top of the sheets. He held her in the dark and she fell asleep almost immediately, while he laid there awake, listening to her heart beat in time with his own.


	2. Chapter 2

They say everything is clearer in the light of day. As far as Mindy was concerned, they were liars.

She awoke in a haze, like she was hung over, her head throbbing. Sometime in the night, Danny had tucked a blanket over her, but her toes had poked out and now her feet were freezing. She was lying on her back, and he was sleeping on his side, one arm flung across her torso, his face against her shoulder. Memories of the previous day came rushing back to her.

_Mindy Lahiri, MD. Remember that. You have a purpose, and that hasn't changed because of one loss. Put on your big girl panties_.

She slid out from Danny's arm and headed to the bathroom. The crying had left her puffy eyed and she had a sharp crease along one cheek from how she had slept awkwardly._ It doesn't matter, you don't have anyone to impress_. She rinsed her face with cold water, wanting to dunk her whole head, and glanced at the shower briefly. _Should have done that last night, _she thought ruefully, _instead of throwing yourself at Danny_. She felt painfully stupid and embarrassed about that.

He was still asleep when she returned to the bed, so she climbed back in and pressed herself against him. His body was solid and warm and she felt safe, waiting to see if he would wake before closing her eyes again. She didn't realize she had fallen back to sleep until Danny's motion startled her awake again. They looked at each other for just a beat too long before she felt she had to break the tension.

"Hey." Her voice was raw. "So we finally slept together, eh?"

Danny's eyes crinkled ever so slightly in response.

"I thought it would be more fun. And nakeder." She gave him the tiniest smile.

"Hmmmhh." He exhaled and looked up at the ceiling.

"Thank you for staying. You must have been very uncomfortable sleeping in that." She gestured to his jeans and dress shirt.

"No, it was fine, Min. You doing okay?" He looked back at her and she swallowed hard at the expression she saw in his eyes. Pity or compassion, she wasn't sure, but she hoped for the latter.

"I will be." She replied.

She had imagined many times, in the last few weeks, what it would be like waking up with Danny in her bed. This scenario was not at all what she had anticipated, but now, it looked like it she would have to settle for it. She just wished she knew what had happened to cause him to slam on the brakes after he had made a move. It couldn't have been because of Cliff, as she didn't reunite with him, and she couldn't imagine he was disappointed with their chemistry, based on the way he had kissed her. But as quickly as the flame was lit beneath them, it was snuffed, and she was surprised at how it left her aching.

Danny wanted to leave, she could tell. His excuse about scheduled procedures was no doubt true, but he wasn't busy till the afternoon. Mindy knew his schedule as well as her own. She assumed he was afraid of her clumsy attempts at seduction again, though honestly he had no reason to worry. Even if she wasn't self conscious about her swollen eyes, she wasn't in any sort of mood for monkey business.

Well, until she walked him to the door.

She was almost relieved that Danny turned down her offer of coffee and Wheat Thins for breakfast. He was almost out the door when he turned back and reached for her, putting one hand on her hip in an oddly intimate way.

"Look, if you need to talk, or anything..."

"Danny. Can we... Can I take you to dinner? As thanks?" Mindy found her hand on his arm, suddenly reluctant to say goodbye yet.

His face twisted in a half smile. "Don't you have a blind date to make up?"

"I'm gonna let that one slide, but thanks for reminding me. I need to apologize to him." She looked at her feet, then up at him under her lashes. "Maybe I'll get a second chance..." It wasn't her blind date that she was thinking about.

"So... dinner. Yeah, yeah, we can do that. I should be free by 7, 8 at the latest."

"Okay. I'll text you."

They were still standing so close that Mindy could feel his breath on her skin. The air felt too thick, and when she met his eyes, she was startled at the warmth that was emanating from them. Her pulse sped up, especially when he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. He lingered for a moment and then moved away.

_Well, hell. Talk about mixed messages_. Mindy decided to go back to bed, but it felt cold and empty.

They had made dinner plans by text, but clearly they had different expectations of the evening. Mindy arrived in a cute black and white dress with a flared skirt and just enough of dip in the neckline to show some cleavage. She bought it earlier in a bout of retail therapy, but once again felt embarrassed when she saw Danny was in jeans and a t-shirt.

"Oh, hey, wow." Danny stammered, rubbing his neck. "That's a nice date dress. You going to meet up with that guy after all?"

_No, Danny, I'm just confused as hell by you_. Mindy decided to bluff.

"No, I just wanted a little escape, Danny, to dress up and feel pretty. I had to put like eleven cucumbers on my eyes to make them less puffy." She smiled shyly.

"Well, you look... Wow." Danny just smiled and nodded. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

Danny had suggested a Teppan restaurant, and it was pretty apparent why - there was no possibility of having a quiet talk. They sat kitty corner at the huge group table so there were strangers on either side to enjoy the performance of the chef. Mindy's neighbors were the super friendly type who wanted to know all the details of everyone's life at the table.

"I'm Debbie and this is my second husband George! Really! My first husband was George too!"

"Nice to meet you Debbie. I'm Dan, and this is Mindy. She's my co worker. We share a practice."

Danny eagerly explained their platonic relationship to each new arrival at the table. By the sixth time Mindy had heard it spelled out that they were JUST FRIENDS, the knots in her stomach sent her to the restroom to get away for a moment.

Back at the table, she sat down and caught the eye of the good looking fellow sitting a role from her, who was there with his mother. He gave her a sympathetic smile and Mindy felt even worse. Could this guy see how uncomfortable she was? She smiled back and turned her attention to her meal - when all else fails, there's always delicious food. Danny was chugging Japanese beer like it was water, as that was apparently his fallback.

Mindy was relieved when the bill came, but Danny grabbed it first.

"Hey, my treat, remember?" She chided, but he just shook his head.

"I got this, Min." He took off for the cashier before she could argue. She sat there for a moment before heading after him.

"Excuse me."

Mindy turned to see the man from across the table at her elbow.

"Hey, I'm Jeff. This is kind of forward of me, but I wondered if you would like to grab coffee some time? I got the impression you weren't on a date..." He grinned sweetly and Mindy felt flushed.

"Was it the first fifty thousand times my _co-worker_ mentioned we were just work pals?" He answered laughingly.

"Yeah, that might have tipped me off."

_What the hell, why not_. They exchanged numbers and Mindy was acutely aware that Danny was watching. He looked at her pointedly when she caught up to him.

"Nice." Was all he said, fiddling with his wallet as they walked out.

"Yeah, I guess it paid off to wear a date dress after all." She tried to play off the bitterness she felt with words of levity, but Danny caught it.

"You know, you don't have to walk me home." Danny stopped in his tracks. "Why don't you get a cab from here."

Mindy was taken aback. "Do you not want me to walk you home?" She didn't even try to disguise the hurt in her voice.

"I didn't say that. I just didn't want you to go out of your way. Your shoes are ridiculous. Why do you wear such high heels?" He was crabby and looking past her.

_Jealous? Dog in a manger much,Danny?_

Mindy turned to face him. "Because this happens when I don't." She steadied herself on his arm and slipped out of her shoes, instantly becoming significantly shorter. She peered up at him, trying to read his face.

He looked down at her and swallowed hard. "What's wrong with that? You're tiny."

She beamed at him. "I love that word, thank you."

As she poked her feet back in her shoes, she lost her footing and stumbled towards Danny.

"Careful" He muttered, instinctively grasping her waist to keep her from falling.

He glanced away as he spoke and spied a speeding bicycle headed right towards Mindy. Without thinking he grabbed her and swung her out of its path, slamming them both into the side of a building.

_Shit. My back is literally against the wall. _

It's like déjà vu - Mindy has been here before, pressed against his strong body, looking into his eyes. He has that look again - of heat, of longing - and she knows if he made another move she would be powerless to resist.

_Goddamn it. Why do I feel like this? It's Danny. He's cranky and stubborn and arrogant. He sweats a lot and doesn't understand pop-culture and oh god those lips are so soft. What is he doing to me? I think I might love him. Oh god_...

"Danny. What are we doing?" She could barely speak above a whisper.

He seemed to snap out of the haze when she spoke. "I, uh, that bike, I thought it was going to hit you." Mindy frowned, and he looked away and exhaled heavily. "That's not what you meant, is it."

He let her go and stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets, turning away and starting to walk again.

_Here I go, running after a man again._

"Look, Mindy, there's obviously some things we need to... get past." He said when she caught up to him.

"Get past? Like what? You kissing me and then barely speaking to me for weeks, maybe?"

Danny nodded, watching his feet as he walked a little too rapidly.

"So, how do we do that? Because it seems like sometimes you want nothing to do with me, and sometimes... sometimes you look like you're about this close to jumping my bones. So forgive me for being a little confused, Danny." She grabbed his arm to stop him and cut him off, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. "So just what DO you want here?"

_Me. Tell me you want me._

"I... I want you to be happy." Danny struggled with the words. "I just don't think I'm the person who can make that happen."


	3. Chapter 3

Danny was struggling. He had an admirable hand span, but that wasn't the issue tonight. The amount of alcohol in his bloodstream was not yet at the blackout stage, but definitely at the point where his delayed reaction and coordination was affecting his piano playing. He wasn't going to let that stop him.

No one was at the office, or possibly in the building, to hear him hit the wrong notes on the keyboard or with his lungs. It made him laugh when he managed to do both at once, but it wasn't happy laughter. It was self loathing and bitterness instead.

She had looked so beautiful leaving the office, wearing another "date dress" as he had clumsily described her outfit last week. She had come in earlier to tell him she was meeting the guy from the restaurant, and dropped a few heavy handed hints that she would cancel for him, but Danny held to his resolution. When she left, he watched her from his doorway, tense and moody, and she had given him a tight smile and nod before going out. That's what friends do - make nice when they need to, even of things are awkward.

Friends don't, however, get shitfaced at their place of work and take off their pants and sing melancholy songs about the other friend. But that was his decision, what he told her he wanted, and she took it surprisingly well. They had parted that night on good terms, he thought, and he felt like the mature adult he should be instead of the hormonal teenager he had seemingly become, wanting her so badly it wrecked him.

But he was lying to himself, and he could only do that so long before he would implode. He had been drinking too much, too often, regretting all his decisions about Mindy from the day they met. He should have tried harder to convince Schulman not to hire her, he should never have become her friend, and he certainly should have never have fucking let himself succumb to his desires. That was all he could think about, sober or not - her sweet mouth, her soft curves, that ass.

_Oh god that ass._ It was enough to make a man cry.

But deep down, he knew he could never be enough for her. He would disappoint her sooner or later and she would resent him, or betray him, but no how it happened, it would end him. She was too good for a sad, bitter loser like himself and eventually she would agree.

Finally he managed to find his rhythm and play a reasonable version of the song that was running through his mind all day. He focused as hard as he could on the keys and sang the words from memory.

_Then she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleeding  
But she'll bring out the best and the worst you can be  
Blame it all on yourself 'cause she's always a woman to me._

"Don't quit your day job, buddy."

Danny startled at her voice and turned to see Mindy standing in the doorway.

"What the hell, Danny?" She was looking at him with a mixture of concern and disgust.

"Heyyyyy, Min. Mindy. What are you doing here?" He grinned in spite of himself. "Aren't you s'posed to be with Mr. Shushi?"

"A, we did not go to sushi, and B, he brought his mother. And _that's_ why he's still single." She walked in his office with trepidation, seeing clothing strewn on the floor.

"Awwww, you shure know how to pick 'em." Danny slurred, leaning away from the keyboard towards her.

She gave him a sad smile. "Tell me about it. What's going on, dude? Why do you always take off your pants... Nevermind, you know what? I don't want to know."

"It's just more comfortable, geez." Danny frowned and stood up to find his pants. He clumsily dressed and sat back on the bench, but he was suddenly lightheaded and rested his forehead on the keys.

"That's almost better than playing with your hands, Danny. C'mon, let me get you some coffee and a cab home." She started to head to the break room when she saw him grab his bottle of whiskey again. "No, no more, save some for Beverly. Come with me, you lush."

Danny followed her to the break room where he sat heavily and held his head, which was starting to pound and spin. Mindy started some coffee and watched his slumped form as she waited. Finally the single cup brewer was done and she slid the hot, black coffee across the table to him.

He took a few tiny sips before looking up to meet her eyes. "What?"

"I'm just wondering why you're such a mess, Danny."

"You know why." He sighed heavily.

"Not really. I mean, I know you have some crazy going on up there..." She reached out and tapped Danny's head and he pushed her hand away. "But I don't get it. This is your choice. You made that very clear."

"I know... I just. Jesus, Mindy, I don't know what I'm doing." He buried his face in his hands.

"At least you're honest when you're hammered. Maybe this is a good opportunity for me. Can you actually tell me how you feel for once?" She reached out to peel his hands off his face and he grasped her hands with his, holding on for dear life.

"I feel like shit, is that good enough?" He smiled crookedly. "I feel like I'm drunk all the damned time, because you're fucking intoxicating."

"You swear like a sailor when you drink. I'm not going to lie, it's hot."

Danny laughed. "That. You do that thing where you joke, but it's not a joke, and it kills me, Min. I thought I could handle not having you, after we got him from LA. I was doing okay. And then you came to me all needy and it broke my heart, and then... you made me stay at your house, and... fuck..."

"Maybe if you _had_ stayed and my house and fucked, you wouldn't be such a mess." Mindy was still smiling, but there was a seriousness in her voice that was matched in her eyes.

He felt his stomach tighten as he gazed at her. Leaning closer to her, still gripping her hands, he felt himself losing his reserve. "Yeah? You wanna fuck me, Mindy?" He growled.

She took a long, deep breath and held his gaze till she couldn't stand it. She pulled free and stood up to make herself some coffee too, hoping it would still the slight tremble in her hands. "In your condition, I doubt it's physically possible."

"You'd be surprised." He replied. His voice was thick and deep and sent little tendrils of heat coursing through Mindy's body. Even plastered, the man was sexy.

She sat down to drink her coffee and Danny seemed to retreat into his drunken haze.

"Was that song about me, Danny? I cut you and laugh while you're bleeding? Because I don't remember it going down like that." Her voice had a touch of hurt.

He stared into his coffee mug. "It was just a song." His head felt too heavy.

"Okay. "

Mindy knew she had lost the window - he was sobering up enough to go back in his shell. She finished her coffee and hustled Danny out of the building and into a cab.

"Call me or text me when you're home. Don't forget." Mindy told him firmly as she shoved him in the back of the cab and paid the cabbie extra to make sure he got in the building. Danny protested that he was an adult and Mindy wasn't his mother but reluctantly agreed.

A repetitive buzzing under his head stirred him the next morning. He fumbled for the phone, and without reading the messages, sent a one word text. "Stop." The buzzing stopped and he tried to go back to sleep, but his dry mouth and pounding head forced him to give up. He took a painfully hot shower and forced down a bowl of tasteless cereal before confronting the texts.

They were all from Mindy. The recent ones that woke him were just increasingly upset requests to answer her. He scrolled back and read the earlier conversation.

Hey did u make it home?

Danny

Danny answer me u asshole

Goddamn it danny u have five minutes or im coming over

_I'm home_

Okay ur still an asshole go to sleep now

_Ok_

_Hey_

_Mindy_

_Hi_

Knock it off danny go to bed!

_Hey mindy you are beautiful  
I wish you did come over_

God damn it danny I'm ignoring ur drunk texts FRIEND

_Well, it could have been worse. I could have told her that I love her._

He called his service and rescheduled his appointments for the day. Then he took a deep breath and texted Mindy.

_Sorry the phone was under my head didn't mean to be rude_

It's ok r u feeling ok?

_No but that's what I get. Sorry for all the weirdness last night_.

The phone rang in his hand.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey, Min." Danny answered his phone with a voice that was like gravel.

"Damn, Danny, you sound like like hell. Tell me you didn't keep drinking when you got home?" Mindy was starting to worry about his recent reliance on alcohol, especially considering what he had mentioned about his father.

"I didn't. I'm not a drunk, Mindy."

_Not yet... _she thought_. _

"Okay. But seriously, this can't go on. It's not good for either of us."

Danny groaned. "I know."

"Do you want me to bring you some breakfast?" Mindy asked with hope in her voice.

"No, no. No. That's not a good idea."

"Ok, fine. Do you want to go to dinner tonight?"

Danny declined that too.

"You're being difficult. How about this. Tonight, I bring some Chinese food, we watch one of your boring documentaries, and see where that takes us?"

Danny's voice was heavy with trepidation. "Where it takes us?"

"Yeah, maybe we talk, maybe we bang, see how the mood strikes us."

Mindy enjoyed the choking reaction she elicited. "Okay, settle down, weirdo. I'm kidding. That would totally defeat the purpose. But we need to work on us being friends. Let's just go out and see a movie. Very low pressure situation, you know?"

She was surprised he actually agreed. He had no idea she had ulterior motives.

"Okay. That should be... fun? I'll come get you at seven. Should I bring my Ma?"

Mindy was happy to hear the teasing tone return to his voice. It had been too long. "Ha ha, Danny. With friends like you, who needs enemies?"

There was, indeed, a master plan behind Mindy's acceptance of the "just friends" situation, in that she didn't accept it at all. She had a sort of realization the prior day, after an unplanned delivery called her in to the hospital. The mother was a teenage girl who she had seen early on at a women's outreach clinic, but who had since sought no further prenatal care. The newborn was perfectly healthy and strong, but the teen mother didn't even want to see her.

While Mindy was happy that the baby would be adopted into a loving home, she was struck by the difference between this successful delivery and the tragedy that had unfolded previously. The parents who lost their baby had done everything right, they had loved and wanted him since he was conceived, and yet their chance happiness was torn away before it even began. The careless teen had a healthy baby and did not want it. She felt it was a perfect metaphor for her unborn relationship with Danny - something that could have been beautiful, but lost before they had a chance.

_Not if I can help it._

Everything was carefully calculated. Her outfit, the choice of movie, she had even planned a few special moves to try to shift things in her favor. This wasn't her first man-trap, but for some reason, she felt like it was the most important one.

She was ready to go when Danny arrived, wearing a simple white, knee length sundress with a cardigan over it and flat sandals. She noticed how he seemed to relax and approve of her demure, not-a-date outfit.

_Oh just you wait_.

The movie was a compromise of their tastes - a moody drama, but with Ryan Gosling. Something they could both enjoy while not distracting from the task at hand, which was, of course, seducing Danny.

The took a cab to the theater, Mindy occasionally bumping a knee against him, or grabbing his arm, as she talked animatedly about inconsequential things. She insisted on buying the tickets and sent him to get her some popcorn with lots of butter if he just had to contribute to the evening. They found seats near the middle and settled in before the previews even started.

And then it began.

First she slipped off her sweater, noting that was the first time Danny looked a little nervous. Her white dress contrasted sharply with her dusky skin, and the tiny spaghetti straps were just a little bit too big, so they kept slipping off, occasional with a little help. She watched his expression as she slipped the strap back up over her shoulder, her hand just barely touching her skin. He seemed to have a very tight grip on the tub of popcorn.

When the strap on the other side slipped, the top of her dress came with it, just barely exposing the swell of her breast. She was in no hurry to fix this as she was deep in the middle of a story but when she glanced in his direction, she could tell he noticed. He slammed the popcorn into the empty seat next to him.

"Aren't you cold?" He asked her, averting his eyes as best he could, as the screen lit up. She was watching the previews and just muttered she was fine as she adjusted the wayward strap. Then she reached across to his lap, eyes still on the screen, and her hand landed on his thigh.

"What are you doing?" He screeched as she spoke at the same time. "Where's the popcorn?" She pulled her hand away and made a face, and then glanced down to his lap, where it was fairly obvious something other than corn was popping. Danny grabbed the tub and pushed it at her, frowning and staring at the screen.

She grabbed a handful and grinned to herself. Taking a few kernels in her mouth, she emitted a low moan. "Mmmm, this is sooo good." She took another handful and again enjoyed it loudly. A man behind her shushed her.

"Rude. A girl can't even enjoy her popcorn? Geez." The lights had not gone down yet and she could see how red Danny's ears were. He kept stoically staring straight ahead. "Do you have any napkins?" She asked him, and as he turned to hand them to her, she was delicately licking a rivulet of butter off her wrist. She maintained eye contact as she took the napkins with her other hand, and she couldn't suppress a wicked smile. Danny gritted his teeth and looked away.

Fortunately, the lights went down and the movie started, leaving Mindy no way to continue. The damage was already done, as Danny was far too distracted to pay attention to the movie. He gave her frequent side glances, trying to figure out exactly what was going on. Mindy had no problem getting lost in Ryan Gosling's eyes,however.

After the movie let out, Mindy played innocent, slipping her sweater back on without fuss and linking her arm in Danny's.

"That went great, right, Danny?" She beamed at him.

"Yeah, good movie, great, uh, great choice."

Time to test how well he was paying attention. "I think my favorite part was when Ryan and Amy Adams had that sweet moment on the train."

"Yeah, that was good." Danny nodded.

_A ha! There was no train scene, and Amy Adams wasn't even in the movie_! Mindy stifled a giggle.

"Did you wanna get something to eat, or something?" Danny asked her hesitantly.

_This is good. He's not ready to call it a night yet_.

She shrugged. "I'm not really hungry, but if you want something..." She tried very hard to give him a meaningful look. He just looked a little confused.

"No, I'm fine." He hailed a cab and opened the door to let her in, and for a minute she thought he wasn't going to join her.

_Did he see through my trap?_

Then she noticed Danny's line of sight and pulled down her skirt, which had hiked up perilously high as she scooted across the seat. Danny clamped his lips together but she could swear she saw a smile trying hard to break through. Once he was in the cab, Mindy had a captive audience.

She related the story of her delivery as they headed back to her apartment, watching his face for the epiphany she knew he would have, if only he paid attention.

"Isn't that the saddest thing, Danny?" She sighed and leaned a little in his direction.

"Yeah, but it's the best thing for that baby to have a home where it's loved and wanted. Things have a way of working out."

Mindy just grunted in response. She did not need pragmatic Danny to rear his ugly head. She needed to bring out the impulsive Danny that had eagerly groped her in the airplane galley.

"Of course, but those poor parents who wanted their baby so badly. It's not fair! They had all that love..." She paused to look down dramatically, then gazed up at him with another attempt at a meaningful look. "They never even got to share that love for a moment, Danny. Even if they only had that baby for a short while, they would have had such joy."

Danny shrugged. "I don't know, I'd imagine that would make it hurt all the more if they lost it later. It's very difficult for parents when a child dies."

"But Danny, you know those parents wouldn't trade in a moment of their children's lives, even if it meant they didn't have to suffer later on. They cherished what they had no matter how long they had it."

_God, why doesn't he GET IT?_

"It's tough no matter what." As the reached Mindy's block, Danny shouted to the cabbie to stop at the corner. "There's never any parking."

"Why would he need to park?" Mindy frowned.

"So I don't have to hassle finding another cab this late. Wait here a minute." He opened the door and stepped out, reaching for Mindy's hand to help her out.

_Shit. I didn't plan for this._

She was nothing if not quick on her feet, though. "I can't let you pay both ways, Danny. That would be taking advantage of our friendship." She leaned in and handed the cabbie the fare plus a healthy tip. "Go ahead and GO." She mouthed to him, flashing the cash. He grinned and as soon as Mindy stepped away he drove off.

"God damn it! What a jerk." Danny flipped the cab off and turned to Mindy. "I hope you didn't tip him."

"No, he was totally a dick." She pushed her hair out of her eyes and pulled her sweater tight around her, feeling chilled. Danny did not offer her his jacket which kind of pissed her off a little. If she was wearing the jacket, he would have had to come inside to retrieve it, and she could progress to the next step. Oh well, plan B was equally agreeable.

They got to the door of Mindy's building and she knew this is where he planned his escape.

"Since you're here, can you come in and make sure my lock opens? It's been sticking lately and I don't want to have to wake the super if I can help it. He smells like old prawns."

"Sure, but you need to get that fixed, it's a fire safety issue."

_Ugh. Get lost, sensible Danny!_

"I will." She grabbed his arm to lead him inside.

"Seriously, if the building is on fire, and you can't get out..."

"I have a fire escape, remember?"

Danny gave her that half grin, and she thought back to that night she almost married Casey, when she had sat and talked with Danny in the cold. She was never more glad that they hadn't gone through with it.

Her door opened, as she knew it would, and she pushed it partly open and turned to him.

"Looks like I'm good for now. Thanks again for coming out with me."

"Anytime." He smiled again, and Mindy took a deep breath.

_It's now or never_.

"Hey Danny. Just to prove how good we are at the friends thing, why don't you knock me a little goodnight kiss." She turned her head and tapped on her cheek. Danny rolled his eyes and leaned forward.

_To hell with this friends shit_...

His lips were just about to brush her cheek when she moved just enough for them to land on her mouth instead. The element of surprise was in her favor this time, as he was caught off guard by her swift motion and the sudden change in the mood. She was the aggressor, tugging at his lips hungrily before she broke it off and pulled back. They stared at each other for a heated moment, and Mindy saw the desire that his eyes could not hide.

"I guess I'm not that good at being friends." She said throatily, and then she couldn't speak, because his mouth had found hers again and taken her breath away.

**Authors note - thank you guys sooooo much for the feedback. I know I'm kind of leaving these chapters on cliffhangers, which is fun, but Im not going to keep the tension up much longer. The next chapter will be, let's say, a bit of a release... :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note - sorry for the delay! This chapter is borderline M rating - you have been warned. ;) More notes at the end**.

He knew he was sunk when her lips pressed to his. She had been teasing him all night with this pretense of being just friends while she quietly drove him wild. She had dangled the bait and he fell for it, hook, line, and sinker, and he didn't care. It was too good, feeling her hungry lips against his skin, his hands digging into her hips, her chest pressed against his.

He clung to her as they made their way into her apartment, and one of them slammed the door and he pushed Mindy up against it. She made a little whimpering noise that just fired him up even more, and he pulled back, so he could look at her. Her eyes were black with desire and her lips were slightly parted as she panted. She grabbed his face, hard, and guided him back back to her mouth, which tasted of buttered popcorn and bubblegum and Mindy. One of his hands found it's way to her thigh, and then it was under her skirt and sliding up to squeeze the smooth skin and surprisingly muscular firmness of her ass.

She was moaning into his mouth and it was maddening. He hiked her leg up around his hip and ground himself against her, which produced even more delicious noises. He needed to touch her all over and she was responding in kind, grabbing his shirt in her fists as their mouths dueled. He finally pulled his mouth away, needing to breathe, panting against her neck.

"Mindy." He choked.

"Don't talk!" She demanded, as she ran her lips down his neck while she fumbled at his shirt buttons. Once she got his shirt open, she pushed it off his shoulders while he just watched her in awe. She looked up at him defiantly, daring him to disobey her, but he had no intentions of talking. He pulled his hands from her hips and finished the job, flinging his shirt on the floor behind him. She grinned wickedly and wrapped her arms around his neck, finding his mouth and pulling herself against him again. Before he even realized it, he had her other leg up around his hip, as he gripped her with both hands and carried her into the bedroom.

When he reached the bed, bumping against it in the dark, he turned around and sat, as Mindy straddled him. She clearly liked this, purring like a kitten as he yanked off her sweater and unzipped her sundress, then gripped it from the bottom and pulled it over her head. She gasped, the sudden cold electrifying, and she arched her back as his heated mouth traveled over her now rock hard nipples.

He couldn't see her well in the darkened room, but he could feel every inch of her, and hear her panting and making tiny sighs. Mindy ran her hands down his chest and abdomen till she found the button fly of his jeans. She pressed her hand against him, feeling him hard and straining, and he groaned in response. Her lips found his ear and she whispered to him what she wanted.

"Fuck me, Danny."

That nearly put him over the edge. With a guttural cry, Danny lifted and twisted them both and pinned Mindy to the mattress before he unceremoniously yanked off his jeans. He was tempted for a moment to tear off that last scrap of fabric that separated their bodies, but decided the extra moment it would take to ease her panties down her legs would give him a second to regain composure.

He slid back on top of her and kissed her hard.

"Do we need..." He hesitated.

"No, it's okay. I'm good..." She eased her hand down his taut torso and grasped him. "You're good... oh God... so good."

It was all a blur from there, bodies moving in sync, Mindy's muffled cries against his skin. She cursed like a sailor herself, and it was her last husky moan tempered with one last "fuck!" that sent him into a similar state of bliss. He collapsed against her, rolling to his side while entangled, their legs still intertwined, as they slowly felt the adrenaline dissipate.

"Oh my God, Danny." She gazed at him breathlessly.

"I'm sorry. That was... quick." He apologized for what seemed like a very rushed encounter. "I'm usually good at the... foreplay... kinda stuff."

Mindy laughed. "We've had years of foreplay, Danny. This was perfect." She settle her face against his chest, breathing him in. "Any longer would have killed me."

"You give me a few minutes, I can improve on that."

"You've got a deal." She withdrew from his embrace and excused herself, easing out of the bed. He watched her curvy silhouette sway as she walked and thought he might not need a few minutes after all. She returned with a couple of bottles of water and tossed him one, then drank thirstily, before climbing back into the bed and on top of him.

Straddling his hips, she pulled his hands up over his head and kissed him before moving her lips down his neck to his chest. He kept reaching for her and she kept pushing his hands off.

"You said I'm not a very good driver. Let me show you exactly how good I am in the drivers seat." Mindy leaned forward to kiss him, biting his lower lip lightly, as she lowered herself onto him.

This time, it was less frantic, less driven. There was no question that Mindy liked being in control. Once she found her rhythm and was close, she grabbed Danny's hands and placed them on her body, because she knew how much he that desired that tactile sensation. He let them roam freely, visiting every area of her smooth skin that he could, before settling them on her hips. It didn't take long from there for them both to hit their peaks.

Mindy was still shuddering as she eased herself back down and curled up beside Danny. He turned to her, stroking her face, and she took his hand and gently kissed his fingers.

"I'm gonna go to sleep now." She told him, pulling the covers over them both, sounding half asleep already. Danny laid there and watched her eyes flutter closed before finally shutting his own.

When the morning light began to creep in around the shades, Mindy woke up curled on her side, tucked under Danny's arm. Her movement roused him from his slumber and he blinked awake.

"Good morning." She laid back slightly to look at him. Her voice was raw and affectionate, causing little knots to form in Danny's belly.

"Hey. Good morning." He turned his head to look at her but he suddenly felt overwhelmed and turned back to stare at the ceiling. Mindy curled back into him and spread her hand across his chest, feeling his solid muscles under her palm. He instinctively wanted to pull his arm free, feeling trapped, but he didn't want to upset her.

_Keep it together, Castellano._

"So, that was better than last time, what with the nakedness and all." She buried her face in his neck and giggled.

"Yeah..." He had a hesitancy in his voice.

Mindy pulled back to look at him. "Danny."

"Hmmm?" He was still avoiding her eyes.

"Danny." Her voice cracked. "Don't. Don't you dare Harry me."

"Uh, Harry you?" Danny glanced down and picked at his arm nervously.

"You know the movie. When Harry Met Sally. They sleep together and then he freaks and takes off."

Danny knew exactly what she was referencing. He had seen the movie more times than he cared to think about, mostly in bits and pieces, always with Mindy.

"No, I'm not freaking. It's just..." He gave her a side glance and swallowed hard.

"I knew it. I fucking knew you would do this, Danny!" She sat up, covering herself with the sheet, trying to get him to face her.

"Mindy, stop. Last night was great. Amazing. You're amazing." He rolled over on his side and pulled her down beside him, stroking her hair. She was still looking at him with a worried expression.

"Maybe I am freaking out just a little." He gave her a weak smile.

"Danny!" She flung herself backwards on the bed, throwing her arms over her head, which caused the sheet to slip down. "I can't believe you're ruining this for me."

"Ruining what?" Danny's gaze traveled lower, landing at her exposed breasts, and rational thought started to go out the window. His lips were dry, and he darted his tongue out to lick them, his eyes never leaving their target.

"The 'morning after,' Danny. It's supposed to be all romantic and sweet, not all awkward with you having second thoughts."

"I'm... uh... not having... "

Mindy glared at him, then realized where he was looking and gave him a shove.

"What?" He said, grinning like a fool, dragging his eyes back to her face.

"If you're done leering, maybe we can talk about whats going on?"

"Okay, look. I'm not Harry." He had always thought the Billy Crystal character had been a douchebag, taking advantage of Meg Ryan when she was at a low point. Mindy hated it when he pointed that out. "And you're not Sally. You weren't all weepy and vulnerable."

"I'm always vulnerable." She said in a tiny voice, hiding her face against his arm. Danny felt knots in his stomach again and he tilted her chin up to look at him.

"No, you're not. You're strong, and independent, and smart..."

She smiled, her cheeks pinking up. "Well thank you, but that doesn't mean I'm not vulnerable. It's me, Danny. I'm kind of a mess."

He felt an overwhelming need to hold her, comfort her, take away whatever pain he was causing her with his stupid apprehension. "You're not. You're incredible."

She relaxed into his embrace.

"Look, if anything, you're the Harry. You totally took advantage of me last night." He joked.

"Ugh, Danny! There was no taking advantage of anyone, last night, or in the movie!" She pushed at his chest and he just rolled on his back and laughed. "I'm certainly not Harry. You think I'm gonna high tail it outta here, never call, never write?"

Danny was quiet.

"Danny?" She put her hand gently on his arm. "Is that what this is about? You're worried I won't stay with you?"

He exhaled heavily and turned to look at her. "I don't know, Min."' He turned back to stare at the ceiling again. "It seems like everyone I love leaves me."

A kind of cold panic seized him when the words left his mouth.

_Shit shit shit._

Turning his head to face her but not quite able to look her in the eye, he back pedaled furiously. "I didn't mean... I just meant... My dad, and Cristina..."

"Sshhhhh. It's okay, I know what you meant." She laid her hand on his face and stroked his cheek, running her thumb across his lips. "And it's not true. You have your mom, and Richie, and your friends... We aren't going anywhere."

"I know... I just don't want to ruin this."

Mindy smiled. "Hey, I'm the one who should be scared. Let's be honest, if anyone is going to mess this up, it's me."

Danny laughed. "That is true."

"Shut up!" She giggled and kicked him under the sheets.

"Hey hey!" Danny grabbed at her leg and pulled her by the thigh, letting his hand wander. He gazed at her, struck by how lovely she looked, even with no makeup and her hair in tangles. "You're so beautiful..." He sighed.

"Stop, I'm going to get a big ego." Her eyes were twinkling and he knew she definitely didn't want him to stop. "You're saying all these wonderful things. Are you hitting on me?"

"I am, and you're not saying anything nice about me." He frowned and lightly pinched her ass.

"Ow! Okay, well, um, let me think..." She rolled slightly away and turned her head, trying to look like she was concentrating before turning back with a wicked grin. "You have a big dick."

Danny laughed, turning red and burying his face in her hair. "Gee, thanks, Min."

"What!? That's a good thing, dude. I gotta say, I was surprised." She rolled back, giggling.

"So that's all you want me for, then..." He was joking, but he also embarrassingly needed to hear her say more.

"Yeah, pretty much." She wrapped her arm around his waist and ran her hand down to return the ass pinch. "That, and you're the most amazing person I've ever known."

"Okay." He grinned again. "Wow. 'Cause sometimes I think I might be a jerk."

"You are a jerk, Danny. But I still like you." She gave him a tiny kiss . "And I think maybe you might like me a little. So what's the holdup?"

He was smiling and his eyes were soft. "I do like you, Min. But we're such different people... How on earth can we make this work?"

She moved a little closer, slipping her leg between his knees. "We do have a few things in common..."

Danny's smile widened. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Well, we both think I'm really hot."

"Okay, I guess that's all we need." He kissed her softly, running his hand up her back.

"Mmm hmmm. And bacon. And waffles. Danny, we need breakfast."

"Okay, do you have anything resembling that in your kitchen?" He murmured, lips against her throat.

"Nope."

"Do you want me to go get breakfast?" He asked her, knowing full well what her answer would be.

"Yes please... Can we eat it in bed?" She squeezed his arm excitedly.

"Hey, it's your sheets."

"Um, they already need changing, thank you very much."

"You are very welcome." He leaned in to kiss her again, and suddenly the pressing need of the moment was not for food. "Mmmm... Mindy." His mouth slipped down her neck to her collarbone as his hands found her breasts.

"Breakfast, Danny." Mindy moaned.

"It can wait."

**A/N: thanks again for your reviews and your patience while I got this chapter out. It was a toughie - I rewrote it at least three times. Originally I was going to go for a super angsty ending but I was really struggling to resolve things on a happy note when I took that path. So I chucked it for something I thought would be more enjoyable to read. Hope you agree!**


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